Credit card imprinter drive mechanism

ABSTRACT

A credit sales voucher imprinter drive mechanism which is operable either manually or mechanically, includes an imprinter roller carriage disposed between frame guide members to reciprocally traverse a voucher imprinting area upon being driven by spaced parallel belts attached to the carriage. The belts are disposed on pulleys driven by a third belt having a dog secured thereto. A running nut is disposed on a threaded shaft, reversably driven by an electric motor, and has a latch mechanism attached thereto for engaging the dog. The belts also drive a spring return mechanism which is operable to return the imprinter roller carriage to its initial position upon disengagement of the dog by the latch mechanism on the running nut. The imprinter carriage is supported on the imprinter rollers and has idler wheels mounted thereon which engage lips on the upper edges of the frame guide members and vertically restrain the carriage. The imprinter rollers are mounted on a shaft having its ends disposed in arcuate slots provided in the carriage. Means are provided to cock the imprinter carriage as it moves in a first direction to force the imprinting rollers against a voucher for imprinting thereof, and to cock the carriage in an opposite direction as it moves back to its original position whereby the imprinter rollers will be allowed to float over the voucher on the return stroke of the carriage. A hinged handle is provided to manually engage the drive belt dog for manual driving of the carriage. A voucher detector is also provided to prevent operation of the imprinter unless a sales voucher is properly oriented within the imprinter.

United States Patent 1 1 Correll et al.

[451 Oct. 1, 1974 CREDIT CARD IMPRINTER DRIVE MECHANISM [75] Inventors: Quentin E. Correll; Leland D.

' Chamness, both of Mountain View; Melvin Rudin, Los Altos; Tommy A.

Oudijk, Palo Alto, all of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Albert .1. Day, San Mateo, Calif.

[22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 336,489

Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Edward M. Coven Attorney, Agent, or FirmNaylor, Neal & Uilkema s7 ABSTRACT A credit sales voucher imprinter drive mechanism 64 12a 4513 'IE'IIU 54 JOHN ABC STORE.

which is operable either manually or mechanically, includes an imprinter roller carriage disposed between frame guide members to reciprocally traverse a voucher imprinting area upon being driven by spaced parallel belts attached to the carriage. The belts are disposed on pulleys driven by a third belt having a dog secured thereto. A running nut is disposed on a threaded shaft, reversably driven by an electric motor, and has a latch mechanism attached thereto for engaging the dog. The belts also drive a spring return mechanism which is operable to return the imprinter roller carriage to its initial position upon disengagement of the dog by the latch mechanism on the running nut.

The imprinter carriage is supported on the imprinter rollers and has idler wheels mounted thereon which engage lips on the upper edges of the frame guide members and vertically restrain the carriage. The imprinter rollers are mounted on a shaft having its ends disposed in arcuate slots provided in the carriage. Means are provided to cock the imprinter carriage as it moves in a first direction to force the imprinting rollers against a voucher for imprinting thereof, and to cock the carriage in an opposite direction as it moves back to its original position whereby the imprinter rollers will be allowed to float over the voucher on the return stroke of the carriage.

A hinged handle is provided to manually engage the drive belt dog for manual driving of the carriage.

A voucher detector is also provided to preventoperation of the imprinter unless a sales voucher is properly oriented within the imprinter.

6 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PAIEME m 1 mm H amateurs 64 12a 45b'1aqn. JOHN l v 44 Illlllllllllllll ABC STORE 5 CREDIT CARD IMPRINTER DRIVE MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of credit card sales voucher imprinting mechanisms, and more particularly to power driven imprinting mechanisms for use in credit card terminals in conjunction with an embossed credit card reader and amount entry imprinter mechanism as described and claimed in co-pending US. Pat. applications Ser. Nos. 336,736, filed Feb. 28, 1973 and 336,806, filed Feb. 28, 1973 respectively, and assigned to the assignee of this invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, dependable imprinter roller carriage and drive mechanism for a credit card terminal which may be easily operated either manually or mechanically.

Another object of this invention is to provide an imprinter roller carriage drive mechanism which is physically and mechanically adaptable for use with other components of a credit card terminal.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simplified imprinter roller suspension mechanism which will force the imprinter roller against a sales voucher on a printing stroke and allow the roller to float over the voucher on a return stroke to prevent a double printing of the voucher.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will disable the imprinting function of a credit card terminal unless a sales voucher is properly oriented within the terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION These and other objects and advantages are met by the present invention which includes an imprinter roller carriage which is disposed for reciprocally rolling over the voucher imprinting area of a credit card terminal upon being pulled therealong by spaced parallel belts attached to each end of the carriage and disposed on pulleys mounted on shafts which in turn are driven by a third belt. A dog mounted on the third belt is engageable by a latch member mounted on a running nut which in turn is disposed on a threaded shaft driven by an electric motor. Upon selecting of the imprinting mode, the electric motor drives the running nut along the threaded shaft until the latch member latches onto the dog on the drive belt, whereupon the motor reverses and the running nut and drive belt are driven in the opposite direction, pulling the imprinter roller carriage across the voucher imprinting area.

The imprinter rollers are mounted on the carriage by means of a shaft having its ends disposed in arcuate slots provided in the carriage. A toggle lever depends from the end of the carriage and is engageable by a pin to cock the carriage upon driving thereof whereby the carriage will force the imprinter rollers against a credit card voucher disposed in the imprinting area with sufficient force to imprint the voucher. Upon reversing of the carriage, a second pin engages the toggle lever to cock the carriage in an opposite direction whereby the imprinter rollers are allowed to float over a voucher upon return of the carriage to its original position.

A hinged manual control handle is mounted for movement along a path parallel to the path of the imprinter roller carriage and includes means adapted for engaging the drive belt dog upon rotation of the handle for manual driving of the imprinter carriage.

A voucher detecting mechanism comprises a toggle lever mounted to interfere with closing of a door to the voucher imprinting area unless it is displaced from its normal orientation by a voucher disposed in the imprinting area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a credit card terminal equipped with the imprinter drive mechanism of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the credit card terminal shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the imprinter drive mechanism of the present invention, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration,

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the imprinter mechanism shown in FIG. 3 taken along a plane indicated by the arrows 44,

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the imprinter drive mechanism shown in FIG. 3 taken along a plane indicated by the arrows 5-5,

FIG. 6 is an end sectional view of the imprinter drive mechanism shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the imprinter roller carriage shown in FIG. 6 taken along a plane indicated by the arrows 7--7,

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the imprinter carriage shown in FIG. 7 during its return stroke,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, with parts broken away for illustration, illustrating the running nut and latch member of the drive mechanism of the present invention, I

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the imprinter drive mechanism of the present invention showing the manual drive mechanism, 1

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the manual drive mechanism shown in FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is an end sectional view of the manual drive mechanism shown in FIG. 10,

- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the claw of the manual drive mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the voucher detector and imprinter disabling mechanism of the present invention, in the absence of a voucher,

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the voucher detector and imprinter disabling mechanism shown in FIG. 14, but in the presence of a voucher, and

FIG. 16 is an end view of the voucher detector and imprinter disabling mechanism shown in FIG. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 a credit card verification and voucher imprinting terminal embodying the imprinter drive mechanism of the present invention is shown generally at 20 and includes a housing 22 having a credit card entry area 24 for receiving a credit card 26, a door 28 for providing access to the interior of the terminal for insertion of a sales voucher therein and recovery of credit card 26 therefrom upon completion of the imprinting cycle, an amount entry panel 30 having a series of thumb buttons 32 and associated numeral display windows 34 for selectively indexing the terminal imprinting wheels, a function control panel 36 including at least one control switch 38 and a series of function indicating lights for indicating various modes of operation of the terminal.

Disposed within housing 22, as seen in FIG. 2, is a sales voucher imprinting station 42 attached to base plate 53 and adapted for receiving a credit card sales voucher for imprinting. Disposed immediately below the imprinting station is an amount entry station comprised of a series of imprinting wheels 44 selectively rotatable by slides 46 connected to thumb buttons 32, through pinions 48 and idlers 50. The details of the amount entry station are shown in co-pending US Pat. application Ser. No. 336,806, filed Feb. 28, I973. Also disposed immediately below the imprinting station is a series of fixed imprinting blocks 52 and 54 for imprinting of additional indicia on a sales voucher. The imprinting bloeks and the imprinting station are mounted on an elongated, U-shaped imprinter guide frame 56. Guide frame 56 includes upstanding side members 58 which terminate at their upper edge in elongated lip portions 60 which project toward on another inwardly of the guide frame, and are engaged at their lower surface by idler wheels 62 rotatably mounted on an imprinter roller carriage 64.

Access to the voucher imprinting station is provided through door 28 which is mounted for arcuate sliding along housing 22, and includes a downwardly and rearwardly extending elongated member 66 having an elon gated slot 68 provided therein. A crank 70 is mounted on a hinge bar 72 which in turn is rotatably mounted on housing 22. A pin 74 is provided in the distal end of crank 70 and-rides in slot 68 whereby upon opening of door 28, pin 74 will slide along slot 68 until it reaches the end thereof whereupon crank 70 will be rotated with the door 28 to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 2. A detailed disclosure of the door mechanism is found in co-pending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 336,806 filed Feb. 28, 1973.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a bar 76 is secured to the top of imprinter roller carriage 64 and has ends which extend outwardly beyond carriage 64 and side members 58 of guide frame 56, above lip portions 60, and are secured to parallel belts 78 and 80 disposed on pulleys 82 and 84, and 86 and 88, respectively. Pulleys 82 and 86 are mounted on a rotatable shaft at one end of imprinting station 42, and pulleys 84 and 88 are mounted on rotatable shaft 92 disposed at the opposite end of imprinting station 42. Also mounted on shafts 90 and 92 are pulleys 94 and 96 which are in driven engagement with a third belt 98 having a dog 100 secured thereto.

Extending parallel to third belt 98 is a threaded shaft 102 driven by an electric motor, not shown. A guide bar 104 also extends parallel to the third belt. A running nut 106 is disposed on threaded shaft 102 and guided linearally therealong upon rotation of the shaft, by guide bar 104.

Referring to FIG. 9, a latch mechanism, shown generally at 108, is mounted on running nut 106, and a latch member 112 having one end pivotally mounted on bracket member 110 by means of a hinge pin l14.The other end of latch member 112 is provided with an upstanding bifurcated portion 116 adapted to engage the dog 100 and extend to either side of drive belt 98. Depending from the mid portion of latch member 112 is a tab 118 having a pin 120 extending therefrom and arranged to be engaged by ramps 122 and 124 disposed at each end of the path of running nut 106. As illus' trated in FIGS. 4 and 9, when nut 106 reaches the leftward end of its travel. ramp 122 will engage pin 120 rotating latch member 112 upwardly until the bifurcated end portion 1 16 engages the dog 100 and extends to either side of the belt 98. The motor driving threaded shaft 102 will then reverse. driving nut 106 to the right and completing the imprinter cycle. Any suitable switch means may be employed to reverse the motor. Belt 98 will be pulled along with nut 106 by latch member 112 engaging dog 100 on the belt. The driving of belt 98 will in turn drive shafts 90 and 92, and thus belts 78 and .80, pulling imprinter roller carriage'64 across imprinting station 42, imprinting any sales voucher disposed therein as will be hereinafter described.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, an elongated elastic spring member 126 has one end securely fastened to a pin 128 mounted on base plate 53, and extends parallel to belt 80 around an idler pulley 130 and has its other end securely fastened to the lower lap of belt 80 by a fastener 132.-Thus running nut 106 drives belts 98, 78 and 80, and imprinter roller carriage 64 against the force of spring 126.

Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 9, when nut 106 reaches the rightward extent of its travel, ramp 124 will engage pin 120 and rotate latch member 112 downward against bracket 110, releasing dog 100. Upon release of dog 100 by latch member 112, spring 126 will drive belt 80, shaft 90 and 92, belts 78 and 98, in the opposite direction, driving imprinter roller carriage 64 rapidly back across imprinting station 42 until it reaches its original position.

A manual drive mechanism is also provided for manual driving of the imprinter roller carriage 64. The manual drive mechanism includes a handle 134 which extends through an elongated slot 136 in housing 22 for movement therealong. The handle is hingeably attached to a trolley 138 FIGS. 10 through 13) comprising an angle member 140 having flanged wheels 142 rotatably mounted thereon by means of stub shafts 144. Flanged wheels 142 ride in a slot provided in a frame member 146 attached to base plate 53. A spring biased button 148 extends through the upper portion of angled member 140 and is pivotally attached to a claw 150 which in turn is pivotally mounted on the lower portion of angle member 140 by means of a stub shaft 152. The distal end of claw 150 terminates in a depending bifurcated portion 154 adapted to engage dog 100 on either side of belt 98. An angled member 156 projecting from handle 134 is arranged to depress button 148 and claw 150 upon rotation of the handle to an operating position, whereby claw 150 will engage dog 100. imprinter roller carriage 64 may then be manually pulled across imprinting station 42 by pulling handle 134 along slot 136.

Upon completion of the imprinting stroke of the imprinting roller carriage, manual force on handle 134 may be relaxed to allow spring 126 to return imprinting roller carriage 64 and handle 134 to their initial position, whereupon handle 134 is again folded down to the position shown in FIG. 1, allowing claw 150 to disengage dog 100 under the force of spring 129.

Referring again to FIG. 6, imprinter carriage 64 has a series of imprinting rollers 158, 160 and 162 mounted thereon by means of a shaft 164. As shown in FIG. 7, carriage 64 has arcuate slots 166 provided therein within which are disposed the ends of shaft 164. A torsion bar 168 extends outwardly from the top of carriage 64 and then downwardly along the side thereof where it is engagable by a pin 170 extending from side member 58. As carriage 64 is moved to the right at the start of an imprinting stroke, the depending end of torsion bar 168 will be rotated by pin 170, resulting in a cocking of carriage 64 whereby the imprinting rollers are wedged into engagement with the member therebeneath (See FIG. 7), the shaft 164 is held to the lower extremity of the slots 166, and vertical forces imposed on the carriage by idler wheels 62 engaging lips 60 are transmitted to shaft 164 and the imprinting rollers disposed thereon.

On the return stroke of carriage 64, as shown in FIG. 8, torsion bar 168 will be engaged by a second pin 172 extending from side member 58 on the other side of imprinting area 42, rotating torsion bar 168 to cock the carriage 64 in the opposite direction from that shown in FIG. 7. When carriage 64 is cocked in this manner, the configuration of slot 166 is so related to shaft 164 that vertical forces will have a rightward component as viewed in FIG. 8, moving shaft 164 rightward and upward, whereby the imprinter rollers mounted on the shaft are allowed to float on the return stroke of carriage 64. During the return stroke, the rollers are not positively held up, but rather are simply free to float as a result of the shaft 164 riding up in the slots 166.

The imprinter drive mechanism of the present invention also includes the mechanism for disabling the terminal within which it is disposed if a sales voucher is not disposed on the imprinting station. Referring to FIG. 14, frame member 56 and imprinting station 42 are provided with an opening 174 within which is disposed the upper end of a toggle lever 176 pivotally mounted on frame 56 by means of a pivot pin 178. Toggle lever 176 is pivoted'off center so that its lower end will rest upon a slide bar 180 and interfere with the path of an upstanding tab 182 on the slide bar, unless, as shown in FIG. 15, a voucher slip 184 is disposed on imprinting platform member 42, depressing the upper end of toggle lever 176 whereupon toggle lever will rotate until the lower end thereof is lifted off slide bar 180 clear of tab 182. As shown in FIGv l6, slide bar 180 is connected by means of a pivot link 186 and a crank 188 to door hinge bar 72 whereby closing of door 28 will shift slide bar 180 rightward to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 16. Thus if a voucher is not disposed upon imprinting station 42, toggle lever 176 will interfere with the rightward sliding of slide bar 180, and thus with the closing of door 28 While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to these embodiments, but rather is defined by the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A credit card sales voucher imprinter and drive mechanism therefor comprising, a frame, an imprinting station mounted on the frame and adapted to receive a sales voucher for imprinting thereof, an imprinter roller carriage disposed for reciprocal movement over the imprinting station, rotatable shafts disposed at each end of the imprinting station transversely thereto, spaced parallel endless belts disposed between the shafts on each side of the imprinting station, pulleys mounted on the shafts in driving relationship to the belts, means connecting the imprinter roller carriage to each of said endless belts, a third belt disposed between said shafts and in driving engagement therewith. a dog secured to the third belt, a rotatable threaded shaft extending parallel to the third belt, a running nut disposed on the threaded shaft, latch means mounted on the running nut and adapted to engage the dog. and motor means driving the threaded shaft, whereby upon driving of the threaded shaft the latch means on the nut will engage the dog on the third belt to drive the shafts and belts along with driving of the nut to move the imprinter roller carriage over the imprinting station.

2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising an imprinter roller carriage guide frame having parallel upstanding side members disposed on each side of the imprinting station and the imprinter roller carriage outward thereof, inwardly extending elongated lip members provided on the top edge of the side members, and idler wheels attached to the sides of the imprinter roller carriage and engaging the lower surface of the lip members whereby the imprinting roller carriage will be forced down against the imprinting station by the lip members as the carriage rolls over the imprinting station.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein the imprinter roller carriage includes imprinter rollers mounted on a shaft disposed in arcuate slots provided in each side of the carriage, and a torsion bar depending from a side of the carriage, and wherein the carriage guide frame includes pins disposed at each end of the imprinting station and arranged to engage the torsion bar on the imprinter roller carriage when the carriage is at each end of the imprinting station whereby the carriage will be cocked in a first direction when the carriage moves in a first direction over the imprinting station, and cocked in a second direction when the carriage moves in a second direction over the imprinting station, whereby when the carriage moves in said first direction over the imprinting station the imprinter rollers will be forced against the imprinting station, and when the carriage moves in a second direction over the imprinting station, the imprinter rollers will be allowed to float over the imprinting station by upward movement of the shaft in the arcuate slots.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the latch means comprises a latch member having a first end pivotally mounted on the running nut and a second end which terminates in an upstanding portion adapted to engage the dog on the third endless belt upon pivoting of the link member, a pin member projecting from the link member, and ramp members adapted to engage the pin member and rotate the latch member into engagement with the dog and out of engagement with the dog respectively as the running nut is reciprocally driven by the threaded shaft.

5. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a manual drive mechanism including a trolley assembly mounted for reciprocal movement parallel to the third endless belt, a claw member pivotally mounted on the trolley assembly and adapted to engage the dog on the third belt upon rotation of the claw, spring means biasing the claw away from the third belt, a handle pivotally mounted on the trolley assembly, and claw engaging means connected to the handle for rotating the claw into engagement with the dog upon rotation of the handle, whereby the imprinter roller carriage may be driven by manual driving of the handle.

6. The combination of claim 1 further comprising spring means attached to at least one of the belts for returning the belts and the imprinter roller carriage to a preselected initial position upon release of the dog by the latch means. 

1. A credit card sales voucher imprinter and drive mechanism therefor comprising, a frame, an imprinting station mounted on the frame and adapted to receive a sales voucher for imprinting thereof, an imprinter roller carriage disposed for reciprocal movement over the imprinting station, rotatable shafts disposed at each end of the imprinting station transversely thereto, spaced parallel endless belts disposed between the shafts on each side of the imprinting station, pulleys mounted on the shafts in driving relationship to the belts, means connecting the imprinter roller carriage to each of said endless belts, a third belt disposed between said shafts and in driving engagement therewith, a dog secured to the third belt, a rotatable threaded shaft extending parallel to the third belt, a running nut disposed on the threaded shaft, latch means mounted on the running nut and adapted to engage the dog, and motor means driving the threaded shaft, whereby upon driving of the threaded shaft the latch means on the nut will engage the dog on the third belt to drive the shafts and belts along with driving of the nut to move the imprinter roller carriage over the imprinting station.
 2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising an imprinter roller carriage guide frame having parallel upstanding side members disposed on each side of the imprinting station and the imprinter roller carriage outward thereof, inwardly extending elongated lip members provided on the top edge of the side members, and idler wheels attached to the sides of the imprinter roller carriage and engaging the lower surface of the lip members whereby the imprinting roller carriage will be forced down against the imprinting station by the lip members as the carriage rolls over the imprinting station.
 3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein the imprinter roller carriage includes imprinter rollers mounted on a shaft disposed in arcuate slots provided in each side of the carriage, and a torsion bar depending from a side of the carriage, and wherein the carriage guide frame includes pins disposed at each end of the imprinting station and arranged to engage the torsion bar on the imprinter roller carriage when the carriage is at each end of the imprinting station whereby the carriage will be cocked in a first direction when the carriage moves in a first direction over the imprinting station, and cocked in a second direction when the carriage moves in a second direction over the imprinting station, whereby when the carriage moves in said first direction over the imprinting station the imprinter rollers will be forced against the imprinting station, and when the carriage moves in a second direction over the imprinting station, the imprinter rollers will be allowed to float over the imprinting station by upward movement of the shaft in the arcuate slots.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the latch means comprises a latch member having a first end pivotally mounted on the running nut and a second end which terminates in an upstanding portion adapted to engage the dog on the third endless belt upon pivoting of the link member, a pin member projecting from the link member, and ramp members adapted to engage the pin member and rotate the latch member into engagement with the dog and out of engagement with the dog respectively as the running nut is reciprocally driven by the threaded shaft.
 5. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a manual drive mechanism including a trolley assembly mounted for reciprocal movement parallel to the third endless belt, a claw member pivotally mounted on the trolley assembly and adapted to engage the dog on the third belt upon rotation of the claw, spring means biasing the claw away from the third belt, a handle pivotally mounted on the trolley assembly, and claw engaging means connected to the handle for rotating the claw into engagement with the dog upon rotation of the handle, whereby the imprinter roller carriage may be driven by manual driving of the handle.
 6. The combination of claim 1 further comprising spring means attached to at least one of the belts for returning the belts and the imprinter roller carriage to a preselected initial position upon release of the dog by the latch means. 